The Stand (1994– )

After the world is devastated by a man-made plague, a battle of literally Biblical proportions ensues between the survivors.

Stars:

Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Gary Sinise	...	Stu Redman (4 episodes, 1994)
Molly Ringwald	...	Frannie Goldsmith (4 episodes, 1994)
Jamey Sheridan	...	Randall Flagg (4 episodes, 1994)
Ruby Dee	...	Mother Abigail Freemantle (4 episodes, 1994)
Miguel Ferrer	...	Lloyd Henreid (4 episodes, 1994)
Corin Nemec	...	Harold Lauder (4 episodes, 1994)
Matt Frewer	...	Trashcan Man (4 episodes, 1994)
Adam Storke	...	Larry Underwood (4 episodes, 1994)
Ray Walston	...	Glen Bateman (4 episodes, 1994)
Rob Lowe	...	Nick Andros (4 episodes, 1994)
Peter Van Norden	...	Ralph Brentner (4 episodes, 1994)
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Tom Cullen (4 episodes, 1994)
Laura San Giacomo	...	Nadine Cross (3 episodes, 1994)
Ossie Davis	...	Judge Richard Farris (3 episodes, 1994)
Rick Aviles	...	Rat Man (3 episodes, 1994)
Bridgit Ryan	...	Lucy Swann (3 episodes, 1994)
Kellie Overbey	...	Dayna Jurgens (3 episodes, 1994)
Chuck Adamson	...	Barry Dorgan (3 episodes, 1994)
Sam Anderson	...	Whitney Horgan (3 episodes, 1994)
Cynthia Garris	...	Susan Stern (3 episodes, 1994)
Billy L. Sullivan	...	Joe (3 episodes, 1994)
Shawnee Smith	...	Julie Lawry (2 episodes, 1994)
Warren Frost	...	George Richardson (2 episodes, 1994)
Tom Holland	...	Carl Hough (2 episodes, 1994)
Stephen King	...	Teddy Weizak (2 episodes, 1994)
Sarah Schaub	...	Gina McCone (2 episodes, 1994)
Bruce MacVittie	...	Ace-High (2 episodes, 1994)
Dan Martin	...	Rich Moffat (2 episodes, 1994)
Max Wright	...	Dr. Herbert Denninger (2 episodes, 1994)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	...	Monster Shouter (2 episodes, 1994)

Storyline

When a government-run lab accidentally lets loose a deadly virus, most of the population of the world is wiped-out. Survivors begin having dreams about two figures: a mystical old woman, or a foreboding, scary man. As the story tracks various people, we begin to realize that the two figures exemplify basic forces of good and evil, and the stage is set for a final confrontation between the representatives of each.

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Plot Keywords:

virus | plague | population | mute | old woman | 

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Taglines:

The end of the world is just the beginning.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 May 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stephen King's The Stand

Filming Locations:

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Greengrass Productions, Laurel Entertainment Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

366 min 359 min (DVD) 60 min (6 episodes) 345 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kathy Bates:  as Rae Flowers, who was a male character in the novel. Bates had previously won an Oscar for her role as Annie Wilkes in Stephen King's Misery.

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Goofs

When Nick Andros meets Julie Lawry in the drugstore, he puts down the bottle twice.

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Connections

References The Jazz Singer (1927)

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Soundtracks

"BOOGIE FEVER"
Performed by The Sylvers
Written by Freddie Perren (as Frederick J. Perren) and Kenneth St. Lewis
Polygram International, Inc. / Perren-Vibes Music, Inc.
Songs of Polygram International, Inc. / Bull Pen Music
Produced by Freddie Perren (as Frederick J. Perren)
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under License from Cema Special Markets

User Reviews

Miniseries can be good after all. And you must watch this, whether sitting or "stand"ing.

Usually, when we hear about a TV miniseries, we probably think "Oh God! Another product placement adaptation of a classic novel! Why does Hollywood do this to us?! I'll watch that as soon as there's a snowstorm in Rio de Janeiro!" And since Stephen King's novels are so great, any adaptation of them is suspect, but surely a TV adaptation would have to be the sort of thing that would make "Ishtar" look like a cross between "Gone with the Wind" and "Citizen Kane".

Well, "The Stand" is nothing like that. I don't think that in all possibility they could have done a better job with this movie. It slowly but surely builds up the plot, then lets everything happen, and by the end, you're completely blown away.

In case you're unfamiliar with the story, it goes like this. Everything in the world is going normally, when one day, a plague starts killing everyone off. People are dying by the thousands, and the government only sees fit to declare martial law. And in the midst of it, a few people are totally immune to the disease. As the movie progresses, these people start converging on a place out in the desert. But all the while, there is an evil man plotting things. And knowing that these people have converged on a place, he may just have his own plans for them.

The truth is, I can't do "The Stand" justice by describing it. It's the sort of movie that you can't possibly understand unless you actually see it. And believe you me, you will get blown away like never before. But I can say that the martial law scenes give one a feeling of what may be coming given the current state of the world.

And the cast. Any time that a movie has a giant cast, it's once again suspect; sometimes, movies have giant casts for no other purpose except to show off a bunch of stars. This one not only has the perfect cast, but it's clearly not for show. Gary Sinise is the nominal star, but there are several others. Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Laura San Giacomo, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Miguel Ferrer, Matt Frewer, Ray Walston and Rob Lowe, to name a few. Appearing in smaller roles are Ed Harris, Kathy Bates, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and even Mike Lookinland (Bobby on "The Brady Bunch").

Look, every minute that you sit there and read my review is another minute when you're not watching the movie. SO GET OUT THERE AND RENT IT!!!!! It might just save your life one day.